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Vulpter
Vulpter Planet data created by Wikia user Lukewarner (Converted from its Byss and the Deep Core counterpart). See also: Galactic Gazetteer Vulpter is a highly industrialized world that can only be called a tragedy of callousness. Originally covered with rolling hills, grasslands, forests, and all manner of other environments, the natural inhabitants of Vulpter reduced the world to a smog-choked wasteland where only the brave (Or suicidal) dare tread. The Vulptereens still call it home, though, and cling to their planet despite the ravages of industry and technology. Massive factories belching out black smoke and industrial waste pits cover the planet's surface, honeycombed with underground warrens and cluttered with ghost towns and dying settlements. Vulpter is a dumping ground for low-grade goods that the Trade Federation couldn't pawn off on other systems. A ring of debris composed of floating advertisements and discarded promotional material clutters Vulpter's orbit. For every thriving city on the planet's surface, five other cities are abandoned, in disrepair, or collapsing entirely. The planet is a junkyard, with the surface lacking natural wildlife and the natives constantly plagued by diseases and ailments resulting from impurities in the air, water, and food supplies. The people of Vulpter cannot even provide enough food to sustain themselves and must import what they can't scrounge on their own. Vulpter Statistics Region: The Deep Core Climate: Temperate to Arctic Gravity: Standard Moons: 0 Length of Day: 22.5 Standard Hours Length of Year: 391 Standard Days Sapient Species: 88% Vulptereen (Native), 6% Amaran, 2% Human, 2% Neimoidian, 2% Other Species Government: Corporate Capital: Hpaq Major Exports: Vehicles, Starships Major Imports: Consumer Goods, High Technology, Processed Foods History The planet Vulpter began simply as the homeworld for a native sentient Species. As the Vulptereens advanced technologically and socially, the planet became more industrialized and soon joined the galactic community. When the Trade Federation first consolidated its resources into a single organization, the Vulptereens were among the founding members and finally felt a part of an important galactic venture. This euphoria was short-lived, however, as the greedy and ruthless Neimoidians quickly made it apparent that they considered Vulpter an inferior world and seized control of the planet and its production facilities. Almost before they realized what had happened, the inhabitants of Vulpter were under the control of Trade Federation bureaucrats who drove their world into the poverty-stricken and devastated state for which it came to be recognized. When the Empire replaced the Republic and the Trade Federation lost control of Vulpter, the inhabitants found themselves in a much worse position. The Empire, with its anti-alien bias in full effect, saw no need to continue shipping foodstuffs to the ruined world. The Empire simply cut the planet off from the rest of the galaxy when they closed off The Deep Core to Hyperspace travelers and let it rot. Millions of Vulptereens lost their lives in the ensuing famines, and thousands more in the riots that resulted from a starving population. Since the planet had no strategic or resource value to the Empire, the world and its dying populace was of little consequence to Imperial agents. It is for this reason that Rebel agents started using the planet as a safe haven in The Deep Core, and when ways were found around the Hyperspace Security Net, it became a major port of call for Alliance ships attempting to strike Coreward. In exchange for foodstuffs and supplies, the people of Vulpter allowed the Rebellion use of their world until the Empire fell. When The New Republic came into power, Vulpter once again became a part of the galaxy at large. With the Trade Federation influence gone and the Empire no longer blockading the planet, the Vulptereens set about rebuilding their planet as a viable manufacturing world. With help from the same ecosystem purification teams responsible for cleaning up the atmosphere of planets like Duro, Vulpter has slowly begun to make a recovery from the devastation brought on it by centuries under Trade Federation dominance. People The Vulptereens are as poor a people as can be found in the galaxy. Most members of the planet's populace work for the Trade Federation, operating massive underground drilling machines that carve out tunnels used for waste storage. Those not directly under the thumb of the Trade Federation live in the crumbling aboveground cities, producing the few Airspeeders and other Vehicles for which the planet is known. Whether toiling away in underground caverns or cranking out locally designed repulsorcraft, the people of Vulpter are constantly inundated with inferior products and cast-off merchandise. The tragedy of the Vulptereens is that they have simply been exploited into poverty. To the Trade Federation (And subsequently the Empire), Vulpter is so insignificant that it can be (And occasionally is) omitted entirely from maps and Hyperspace travel charts. The inferiority of Vulpter gives its exploiters no reason to feel remorse for the hardships inflicted on the people of the world, and as a result, the Vulptereens simply have careless decision after careless decision thrust upon them by their corporate masters. Locations Descriptions of several key locations follow. Orbital Advertisement Ring A marvel of corporate thinking, the Orbital Advertisement Ring induces a reaction of both awe and horror in those who encounter it. Massive, revolving billboards several kilometers in length and width form a ring around the planet that clutters the sky with such effectiveness that sunlight cannot penetrate its swirling mass. Coupled with a dense field of debris scattered throughout the neon monstrosities, the Orbital Advertisement Ring generates such massive shadows that entire crops have been wiped out as they pass overhead. From the ground, when a being on Vulpter looks up to the night sky, all they can see from one horizon to the next are blinking billboards hawking cut-rate products, silent tombstones for the impoverished populace below. Any attempts to travel through the Orbital Advertisement Ring in a Starship adds +5 to the DC of Pilot checks for Starship Maneuvers or to Avoid Collision while in the debris field. Underground Storage Tunnels Comparable to warrens carved out by subterranean vermin, the Storage Tunnels are massive caverns created for dumping excess products. When the Vulptereen crews carve out a tunnel and complete its support structures, the inhabitants use the tunnel to store excess dry goods until shipping them off to other worlds. The work in these tunnels is hard and pays little, but as employees of the Trade Federation, the workers have no choice but to continue the intense labor in order to support themselves and their families. Many Vulptereen laborers live in side tunnels away from the Storage Tunnels rather than commute to and from the surface each day. Additionally, the managers of these storage burrows are all Amaran, and tensions between the Vulptereen workers and the Amaran managers are almost palpable. Benoga Benoga is one of the largest of the abandoned cities on the surface of Vulpter. Once a heavily populated city supporting industrial complexes and corporate offices, Benoga quickly fell into disrepair when the Trade Federation decided to close the manufacturing plants and relocate the company headquarters offworld. Within a few years, the city was deserted- except for the occasional drifter or pack of vermin. Buildings, apartment complexes, factories, recreational facilities, and mass transit systems were left standing in the city, giving the occasional visitor the sense that the entire populace simply vanished overnight. Of course, some structures have fallen into disrepair and have been corroded by acid rain and other pollutants, but for the most part, Benoga is a city without inhabitants. Adventure Hooks See also: Lon Wert, Harper Krass The adventure hooks described in this section are meant for GMs only. If you're a player, stop reading now! Racing in the Rings The Vulpter Orbital is an annual race held by the Vulptereen population to bring some diversion into their otherwise rough lives. Each year, contestants race through the Orbital Advertisement Field until one racer crosses the finish line or all other racers are eliminated. This year, one of the contestants in the race is a Rebel contact by the name of Lon Wert. Unfortunately, Wert has found himself greatly in debt to a local crime lord who wants to ensure that Wert doesn't survive the race as a message to others who think they can avoid paying what they owe. The Alliance, however, doesn't want to see their contact harmed and sends the party to Vulpter with a dual mission. Not only must the heroes ensure that Wert survives the race and eliminate any of the crime lord's thugs who try to sabotage his efforts, but they must also place a significant wager on Wert's victory and ensure that it comes to pass in order to pay off the Vulptereen's debt in full. Ghosts in the Darkness The abandoned cities on Vulpter hold more than pests and cobwebs; they make excellent hiding places for criminals, smugglers, and other fringe elements of society. A short time ago, noted Black Sun terrorist Harper Krass fled to the ruined world to escape justice and set up his own operation there. Unfortunately for him, the Republic Judicial Department (Or Imperial Intelligence or The New Republic, depending on the adventure's Era of Play) was tipped off to the fact that he is hiding in one such abandoned city by the Trade Federation, who wish to have Krass captured before he can harm their operations there. Complicating matters are rumors of ghosts lurking in the abandoned cities, and some say that Krass has already fallen under the spell of their dark powers. The party must investigate the deserted ruin and bring Krass to justice, ghosts or no ghosts. Category:Planets Category:Homebrew Content